Shoe-trimming machine



April 28, 1925.

- E. L. PATTEN SHOE TRIMMING MACHINE Filed July 6, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l LEI;

awuewtoz ERNEST LTPATTEN 83% m wmm April 28, 1925.

E. L. PATTI-2N SHOE 'mmume momma Filed Jul 6,}925 s Sheets-Sheet s avwemtoz ERNES T L. PA TTEN Patented Apr. 28, 1925.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST L. PATTIEVLN, or NEW HAVEN, c

ONNECTICU'I, ASSIGNOR T0 L. oANnEE &

COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF OONNECTIGU T.

SHOE-TRIMMING MACHINE.

Application filed July 6,

'7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST L. 1)ATTEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Shoe- Trimming Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a trimming machine, more particularly to a machine for trimming the tops of rubber shoes.

In the usual method ofmaking rubber shoes a rubberized elastic lining, such as stockinette, is joined into a bag-like form, drawn down over the last until properly conformed thereto, and the bottom, edges lasted over on an insole. The various toe, heel, and other reinforcements are then applied, the rubber upper superposed on the lining, the outsole rolled on, and a thickened bead of rubber laid around the upper on a line forming the top of the shoe. The shoe is then varnished by dipping and cured. It is not practicable for a number of reasons to make the lining of the exact size as found in the finished shoe. In the first place the operator in lasting the lining stretches and pulls it to conform it to the shape of the last, and hence if the upper part of the dining were cut to the finished size it would not have its upper edge syi'nmetrically disposed after such pulling and stretching. Another reason is that in the varnishing operation, which as before stated is accom plished by dipping, it is not practicable to prevent the varnish from flowing above the top line'of the shoe as formed by'the rub-' her head, hence the varnish would get on the last and also down inside of the shoe, thereby ruining it. The lining, therefore, .as applied to the shoe extends upwardly on the last some little distance above the top of the finished shoe as defined by-the bead. After curing ittherefore becomes .necessary to trim away the projecting portion of the lining. As far asI am aware this operation has ordinarily been performed by hand, the operator using a sharp knife and 'ith a draw out guiding it around the upper edge of the shoe adjacent the bead. There are a number of objections to this manner of trimming the shoe. As it must be done while the shoe is still on the last, the use of the last is therefore re 1923. Serial No. 649,849.

quired throughout the making of the shoe. since the trimming is the final operation. In footwear factory a large amount of capital is-tied up in lasts, owing to the large variety of sizes and styles used. il-lence it is desirable to reduce as much as possible the operations requiringthe use of lasts. Another objection is that after a short time the last becomes badly scored from the trimming knife. Still another objection is that as long as-the shoes are on lasts, racks are required for their handling and transportation from one partof the factory to another. A further objection is. thata relatively skilled operatoris required 'to perform the work; and even then a considerable percentage of the shoes is ruined by reason of the knife cutting through the top head. Moreover, owing to the draw cut a very sharp knife is required to prevent pulling and distortion of the upper as the operator moves the knife around the.top edge. Should the operators knife veer upwardly instead of downwardly through the head a fin of lining will be left on the shoe edge at that point, and if the operator thenattempts to cut this fin by retracting the knife it is diificult to 7 prevent the upper from pulling and stretching unless the knife is very sharp. even in the hands of askilled operator the trimming operation is relatively slow.

An object of my invention is to speed up the production of rubber footweaiz,

Another object'is to lessen the number of operations requiring lasts and racks.

Still another object is to avoid injury to the last.

A further object is to obviate the production of se'condspr damaged articles in the shoe top trimming process.

A still further object is to provide an i in-' Finally,

- before removal from the last.

Fig. 6 is'a fragmentary front elevation, and

Fig. 7 1s a side view of a-fimshed shoe teferring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates a truck provided with an adjustable seat 2 for, the operator and with a hollow column 3 having communication with a scrap hopper .4, the side of the column being provided with a door 5 for the removal of the scrap. Secured to the top of the column is the frame 6 of the machine, having mounted at one end thereof an electric motor 7, the" shaft 8 of which is connected by a flexible coupling 9' with the main shaft 10 of the machine. It is obvious, however, that any other suitable drive may be substituted for the motor 7. The main shaft 10 is carried on bearings 11 and 12 in the frame, and at its front end has connected thereto a crank pin 13 on the outer end of which is pivotally mounted a link 14. The lower ei d of the link 14 is pivotally mounted onfla pin 15 rigidly secured in a cutter slide 16, the latter having a dovetail slide connection with the frame of the machine as: shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Adjustably mounted in the lower end of the slide by a dovetail joint. is a cutter blade 17 having at its lower end the in clined cutting edge 18. Adjacent its lower end the slide 16 is cut away at one side as shown at 16 in Fig. 4, for a purpose to be later explained. In order to secure 'the blade in adjusted position a recess 19 is 'cut in one side of the slide 16 and in this recess fits the head 20 of one member of a clamping element, which member extends through the slide as shown at 21 and has threadedly secured to its oppovsite end. a second clamping member 22 adapted to engage the side of the slide 16. It will be seen, that by tightening the clamping member 22 the head 20 will be drawn against the blade l7 to hold it in position.

Secured on the .main shaft 10 is a helical gear 28 meshing with a similar gear 24 carried by the upper end of a short vertical shaft 25 mounted in bearings 26 and 27 in the frame. Secured on the lower end of shaft 25 is a worm 28 meshing with a worm wheel 29 secured to a shaft 30 mounted in the lower part o.f-the frame. Adjacent its forward end the shaft 30 has secured thereon a knurled feed roll 31 and slightly spaced therefrom a rotary cutter 32, which latter is also knurled over the greater part of its periphery to assist in the feed, buton its inner portion adjacent its cutting edge is smooth as shown; at 38. Secured to the frame is a deflector 34 for lint, thread, etc., which deflector extends up between the feed roll 31 and rotary cutter 32 and surrounds the shaft 30 but is independent thereof. A portion of this deflector is cut away as shown at 34 to provide clearance for the blade 17 and in order that any lint or thread gathering in the space between the feed roll and cutter may be thrown downwardly and out by the movement of the parts.

Cooperating with the feed roll 31 is an idler feed roll 35 carried on a bent arm 36 pivoted to the frame at 37, the free end of the arm being resiliently drawn upward by the adjustable coil spring 38. Disposed in front of the cutter blade is a guard and guide 39 mounted on an arm 40, the rear end of which is vertically disposed and threaded and adjustably connected to the frame by means of the thumb nuts 41 and 42. Adjacent its lower edge and at one side the guard 39 is preferably thickened as shown at 39' to guard the side of the reciprocating cutter blade 17 (Fig. (3). In the present instance this thickened portion is formed b i riveting a small piece of metal to the guard, but it is obvious that it may be made integral therewith or formed in any other desired manner. The cut away portion 16 of slide 16 allows the latter to reciprocate without obstruction by the thickened portion 39. Attached to the frame of the machine at 43 and extending across the face of the guard is a spring clip 44 for maintaining the guard in operative position.

In operation the blade 17 is properly adjusted to cooperate with the edge of the rotary cutter 32, and the guard and guide 39 is vertically adjusted so that its lower edge is spaced from the periphery of the rotary cutter adjacent its cutting edge just sufficiently to allow the projecting or superfluous portion of the shoe lining to pass-beneath the same and into the path of the reciprocating blade 17, but it is kept close enough to the rotary cutter 32 to prevent the thickened top bead of the shoe from passing beneath the guard. The lasts are of course removed from the shoes when cured and the latter then brought to the operator, who after starting the machine passes a portion of the projecting shoe lining 45 beneath the guard 89 and idler feed roll 35 until the top head 46 of the shoe 47 bears against the guard. Using the guard as a guide the operator feeds the shoe along, keeping the bead of the shoe at all times pressed against the guard 39. As the guard is of relatively thin material with a thin bottom edge, and as it is disposed directly against the reciprocating blade 17, the latter in cooperation with the rotary cutter 32 trims off the superfluous lining closely adjacent the top edge of the shoe as defined by the bead 46. Giving to the small size of the blade 17 the operator can readily feed the shoe top so'as to easily cut around any very sharp curves such as those formed by the top of a storm rubber. Should the operator by inadvertenee fail to keep the shoe bead pressed against the guard 39, so that a fin of lining is left on the shoe, this can readily be removed by merely retracting the shoe and again feeding the superfluous portion past the cutting point while keeping the bead against the guard 39. Since the blade 17 operates perpendicularly to the work there is no tendency to draw or pull the shoe upper and the latter can therefore be very accurately trimmed. As it is impossible to feed the top bead of the shoe beneath the guard 39 when properly adjusted the spoiling of shoes by inaccurate cutting through the bead is entirely obviated. It will also be seen that scoring of the last is prevented and free use can also be made of metal lasts when desired, since the lasts are removed before" trimming. Owing to this removal of the lasts before the trimming operation, it will be seen that the number of operations requiring the use of a last is reduced by one. For the same reason the number of operations requiring the use of a rack is also reduced by one. 1

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that withthe present disclosure numerous modifications and other uses will suggest themselves, and it is not desired to limit the invention otherwise than as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An article trimming machine comprising cooperating reciprocable and rotary cutting elements, means for actuating the same, a feed roll rotatable-with said rotary cutting element and spaced .therefrom for the passage of said reciprocating element and a guard covering said last elementan spaced fromythe rotary one for the passage of the material to be trimmed.

2. An article trimming machine comprising a feed roll and a rotary cutting element mounted in spaced relation on a shaft, a reciprocable cutting'element movable into and out of said space and cooperating with the edge of said rotatable element, and a refuse deflector disposed in said space below said reciprocable cutting element.

3. A shoe trimming machine comprising a feed roll and a rotary cuttin element mounted in spaced relation on as aft, a reciprocable cutting element movable into and out of said space and cooperating with the edge of said rotatable element, and a thin edge guard covering said reciprocable. element and adjustably spaced from the edge of said rotatable element.

4. A'shoe trimming machine comprising a feed roll and a rotary cutting element mounted in spaced relation on ashaft, a reciprocable cutting element movable into and out of said space and cooperating with the edge of said rotatable element, a guard and guide cooperating with said elements for preventing the cutting of the shoe proper, and a refuse deflector disposed in said space below said reciprocable element.

5. A rubber shoe top trimming machine comprising a substantially cylindrical rotary cutting element having one end formed as a cutting edge, a-feed roll rotatable there-- with and spaced from said edge, a reciprocable cutting element cooperating with said edge and movable in said space", a top beadguard and guide] spaced above said edge closely adjacent the cutting point, and resilient means for maintaining said guard in position.

6. A rubber shoe top trimming machine comprising driven and idler feed rolls, a rotary cutting element coaxial with said driven roll but slightly spaced therefrom, a reciprocable cutting element movable in said spacein shearing'relation with said rotary' cutting element, and a top bead guide disposed adjacent the cutting point and spaced from said rotary cutting element a distance Iless than the thickness of the shoe top at the ead.

Signed at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, this 2nd day of July, 1923.

ERNEST L. PATTEN. 

